Vincent Kompany: Real Madrid have all the pressure on them next week

Manchester City have new-found Champions League final aspirations, if the wall decorations in the player/journalist ‘mixed zone’ area after the goalless draw with Real Madrid are any indication. The ‘Road to Milano’ posters, advertising the location of the showdown are up there for the first time.

The small matter of beating the Spanish in their own stadium will be necessary before that, though captain Vincent Kompany observed in the aftermath of the first leg that 0-0 is “an uncomfortable result” and “a pressurising result” for Zinedine Zidane’s players “because you are at home and your fans are expecting you to go forward and score goals and that can leave gaps.”

Kompany has a captain’s way of pronouncing what the side is capable of – “my team” and “my strikers” – which will encouraging for those who fear, with justification, that failing to humble Real lacking Cristiano Ronaldo and thus at their moment of optimum weakness on Tuesday night may come back to bite City. City will score in the Bernabeu: don’t doubt that, he insisted. “If you are going to have a draw at home, which is not a bad things against Real Madrid, then 0-0 is the best result. Then again, I still back my team to score over 180 minutes. I would not expect us not to be able to score one goal.”

It is repelling the artillery fire which will confront them before such a goal comes which will be the challenging part. “You guys can predict what’s going to happen,” he said – and indeed the course next Wednesday in the Spanish capital will not require the skills of a tactical genius to intuit. Real will go at City like a train, looking to replicate the way they overturned Wolfsburg’s 2-0 home win in the Bernabeu. Yet that is where opportunity lies. Even when defending a 2-0 away win in Italy against AS Roma, in the round of 16, the Spaniard’s need to entertain at home created spaces in behind for chances for the Italians. A team with the counter-attacking strength of City could profit.

Manchester City 0 Real Madrid 0 player ratings

1/22

Man City: Joe Hart: 8 out of 10

Made two superb stops from Pepe and Casemiro and stood up to the magnitude of the occasion

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2/22

Bacary Sagna: 6 out of 10

Kept position and focus well to restrict space to Real’s wide men

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3/22

Vincent Kompany: 8 out of 10

Monstrous showing from the talismanic captain. Dominant in air and went close to scoring at set-piece

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4/22

Nicolas Otamendi: 7 out of 10

Buoyed by having Kompany alongside, did not shirk from challenges and aggressive on ball

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5/22

Gael Clichy: 7 out of 10

Got forward at every opportunity and also disciplined in his defensive work

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6/22

Fernando: 7 out of 10

Hardly let a thing past City’s midfield in opening half before fading after the break

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7/22

Fernandinho: 7 out of 10

The more forward and direct of City’s middle men, pushed on with purpose and direction

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8/22

Jesus Navas: 6 out of 10

Pace helped his work in defence which was just as well as he offered little with his final ball

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9/22

Kevin De Bruyne: 7 out of 10

Has returned in fine form and led City’s electric start to the match. Elegant on ball and in his passing

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10/22

David Silva: 7 out of 10

Content to sit on the ball and some cute passing before being forced off just before the interval

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11/22

Sergio Aguero: 6 out of 10

Struggled against might and ferocity of Pepe and Ramos and unable to replicate recent domestic form

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12/22

Real Madrid: Keylor Navas: 6 out of 10

Had little to do as his central defenders dominated the Real penalty box

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13/22

Dani Carvajal: 6 out of 10

Tidy in possession and comfortable to get forward in aid of attackers

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14/22

Pepe: 8 out of 10

Superb showing from the abrasive Portuguese centre-back. Dominant in the air and went close to scoring

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15/22

Sergio Ramos: 7 out of 10

Typically overzealous in some of his tackling and eager to take ball out of defence when given the chance

16/22

Marcelo: 8 out of 10

17/22

Luka Modric: 7 out of 10

Did not stop running and completed more passes than any other player. Delightfully delicate on the ball

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18/22

Casemiro: 7 out of 10

Forced Hart into strong save with header and his size helped Real establish stronghold as the hosts faded toward end

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19/22

Toni Kroos: 7 out of 10

German rarely ceded possession and provided platform for others to attack

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20/22

Gareth Bale: 6 out of 10

Took a while to get going before growing in stature in final half hour. Went close with curling effort

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21/22

Karim Benzema: 5 out of 10

Hardly noticeable in the absence of Ronaldo and was no surprise when he was taken off

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22/22

Lucas Vazquez: 6 out of 10

Covered phenomenal amount of ground but was never going to offer what Ronaldo does

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“They are going to try and put us under pressure early doors, try and get that goal and the longer we are in the game the more we get a chance,” Kompany said. “That’s what we need to try and make use of.” And for those of the glass half full disposition, City’s away record in Europe has also surpassed the home performances, with victories in Monchengladbach, Sevilla and Kiev.

The dyanmics certainly feel different than the Springtime trips to Barcelona in the past few years, trying to overcome home defeats and looking doomed from the off. “I think that’s the main thing,” said Kompany. “We are very much in the tie. If I was playing an away game and it was a 0-0 result it is an uncomfortable result. It’s a pressurising result because you are at home and your fans are expecting you to go forward and score goals and that can leave gaps. We’ve proven against Paris Saint Germain how dangerous we can be on the counter.”

The challenge, of course, will be dealing with a Ronaldo who is expected to have returned from injury by next week.

“Of course I’ll need to have a good day,” Kompany said. “Of course you need help of your team-mates and if your team plays well you can handle him. With Ronaldo it’s not so much his strength, it’s more his speed. He does everything a step faster than the other strikers. Even though you know where he’s going he can take a touch that puts him a position to shoot so quickly. You might just not get there in time. He’s a danger at any time and any moment he has the ball. It’s that speed in everything he does.”